Protect Florida's rivers and springs

(Sun Sentinel 2003 file photo/Scott…)

December 27, 2012

For decades, environmental protection was a bipartisan priority in Florida.

The state's first major program to protect environmentally sensitive land from development, Preservation 2000, was launched in 1990 by then-Gov. Bob Martinez, a Republican. The program's successor, Florida Forever, began under Republican Gov. Jeb Bush. Leaders from both parties were proud to call themselves environmentalists.

But in recent years, conservation — once a conservative principle — has become a dirty word in Tallahassee.

Today's Republicans have dismantled limits on development and deprived Florida Forever and other environmental initiatives of meaningful funding, all in the name of spurring economic growth.

Their efforts couldn't be more misguided, or ill-timed.

Florida's natural treasures — especially its rivers and springs — are among its most valuable economic assets. They are critical sources of drinking water, lifelines for fish and wildlife, and magnets for tourists who drive the state's economy.

Many of Florida's world famous springs are dying due to excessive groundwater pumping and pollution. Once crystal clear, many are now fouled by algae blooms and hydrilla weeds.

In a recent series of stories, the Orlando Sentinel reported that many of the state's rivers also are in failing health. A year-long study of 22 rivers found almost half in decline. The culprits include pollution from fertilizers, street runoff and septic tanks; and swelling demand for water from cities, along with agriculture and other industries.

Despite such dire reports on the condition of Florida waterways, there's been no sign of urgency in the state capital. Last month a federal judge had to order state and federal environmental agencies to implement water pollution limits that have been on the table since 1998. A movement is growing among citizens to force lawmakers to restore the funding they've cut from Florida Forever.

Lawmakers also have slashed budgets for the state's regional water management agencies. They can't even settle on a way to reduce septic tank pollution.

Time is running short for a revival of the environmental spirit that used to motivate leaders in both parties. That spirit could be channeled into practical action: restoring funding for land preservation, especially near waterways; adopting and enforcing sensible and effective water pollution controls, including on septic tanks; reinstating reasonable controls on development; and long-term monitoring the health of rivers and springs.

If lawmakers worry about the cost of acting now, they should be losing sleep over the future price of inaction. Environmental reclamation isn't cheap. Efforts on just two rivers, the St. Johns and the Kissimmee, have cost taxpayers $2.5 billion so far.

Lawmakers also should be concerned about their legacies. They risk being remembered by future generations as the leaders who did nothing to stop Florida's springs and rivers from dying.